Head Of Moda Health Worries About Obamacare Replacement

The head of one of Oregon’s largest health insurers, Moda Health, said the company will remain in the individual market for now.

But speaking on OPB’s Think Out Loud, Robert Gootee, said he’s worried about what will replace the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans have said is a priority under the Trump Administration.

“I think one of the things a Republican administration is going to have to do between now and April is to provide some certainly in the markets," Gootee said. "Which is what the original Obamacare and the ACA market did with risk abatement programs."

"You’re going to have to have something like that because you can’t pay for in essence, everything for everybody,” he said.

Gootee said it’s hard to set rates for next year when it’s not clear what the market’s going to look like.

He also said uncertainty has the effect of increasing rates.

One of President Donald Trump’s first executive actions was to sign an order urging his administration to fight the Affordable Care Act as much as possible.

That said, there are only limited places where the law gives the administration power to quickly change course.

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